Review: Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro are round shaped earbuds that are housed in a fairly compact case that doesn’t take up much space.

Dual drivers in each earbud, one 10 mm for the bass register and one 5.3 mm for crisper treble, are designed to improve dynamics. Active noise cancellation and best-in-class waterproofing (IP57) means they can be used in a range of harsh environments.

If you have a newer Samsung Galaxy phone, Samsung Seamless audio codec, the earbuds should support 24-bit audio quality. During the test period, the journalist only had access to the Google Pixel 7 Pro and an iPhone, and was therefore unable to test this.

There are many features in the Galaxy Wear app, which unfortunately is only available on the Android platform. Choose whether you want ambient sound during calls to hear your own voice. You can test the fit of the earbuds and choose whether calls are sent through the earbuds if they are in the ear and through the phone’s speaker if the earbuds are removed.

Noise cancellation works well, but it also affects the sound of the music. Specifically, the bass becomes more shrill. With the EQ set to Normal, I actually think it sounds best with the noise cancellation turned on.

I would still like to be able to adjust the EQ myself, but instead you’re stuck with six presets.

Buds2 Pro, which can be charged wirelessly, has 360-degree sound, but it doesn’t make much of a difference.

The sound of the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro

Basically, I think the sound is best if noise cancellation is enabled, although it also reduces the dynamics. If you switch it off, the bass becomes too weak. But set EQ to Soft in the app and the bass will come back. Bass boost can also be selected, but it’s too high in my opinion.

No matter how much you adjust it, the sound is never better than “good enough”. The earbuds don’t make major mistakes, but the dynamics are never overwhelming, bass rhythms are somehow not tight enough, and a snare drum doesn’t quite slam as it should.

Where other earbuds can sound a little harsh in certain tonal ranges, Samsung doesn’t. But they also fail to engage like several of their competitors. Including the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, which is even cheaper but still has significantly better resolution in music.

Conclusion

There are several positive things to say about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. They have both noise cancellation and ambient sound, and the app – which is only available for Android – has plenty of options.

The sound is always pleasant and both instruments and vocals retain their tonal characteristics.

The problem with the Samsungs is that they never sound exciting either. They are so preoccupied with landing safely on both feet that they never dare to take chances. It’s very hard to love something that never manages to provoke.

Buds2 Pro are fine, but the regular Buds2 are a much better buy.